Church’s stolen rainbow flags spark nationwide show of support

ROCHESTER — First Church Congregational on South Main Street, after the Rainbow flag displayed on the front of the building was stolen last year, quickly replaced it.

Now thieves have struck again, not once, but twice in rapid succession. The flag, a symbol of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, was first discovered to have been stolen on Saturday, July 19, and a member of the congregation, Maureen Steer, drove through to Concord that day to obtain a replacement. She then helped the Rev. Eliza Buchakjian-Tweedy rehang the new Rainbow flag. Two days later, it was stolen again.

“I posted the news on Facebook, and the story was shared widely,” said the Rev. Buchakjian-Tweedy.

The result has been “extraordinary” in the words of the minister. Rainbow flags, colorful garlands and banners, cards, notes and prayers have been sent to the Rochester church from thousands of miles away — from Washington State to France, and from Canada to Kentucky. Another dozen Rainbow flags arrived earlier this week.

“To us, it is a statement of support for the LGBT community, who endure bullying on a far more regular basis that do we,” said the Rev. Buchakjian-Tweedy, “and often that bullying is done in God’s name.”

First Church Congregational has a 230-strong congregation, of whom around a dozen people identify as LGBD, according to the minister, who has served her Rochester parishioners for a little over two years.

“The congregation, in 2002, decided to be open and approving. We are saying to the LGBT community, who are often silenced and bullied and told they are unlovable in the eyes of God, that they are worthy of love and are beloved,” said the Rev. Buchakjian-Tweedy. “The flag is for kids who are alone and might attempt suicide, and for people who have been rejected by their families and their churches.”

She had strong words of praise for Rochester Police Department, with regard to the theft of the flags.

“I am very grateful and impressed by their response. They have been professional and sympathetic,” she said.

The Rev. Buchakjian-Tweedy said members of the congregation are upset that their church has been targeted in this way, and a little apprehensive of an escalation.

“Most of what has been conveyed to me is a sense that we are doing the right thing and being clear that we welcome people. The huge outpouring of love and support every day is something new, and from people I have never heard of, or seen. It is more powerful that words can describe,” said the Rev. Buchakjian-Tweedy.

The church’s moderator, Kenn Ortmann, reached for comment on Monday evening, said that they had had a meeting after the Sunday service on July 27 to talk about how they might “appropriately respond to the thefts and the outpouring of support.”

“A group of people are working on the response. A portion, I suspect, will be to thank those who have expressed support. We will look at it, also, as an opportunity to let individuals in the community know how strongly the church believes in its mission of spreading God’s word and in giving a welcome to everyone,” said Ortmann.

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